Restoration of Rights Project

Prepared by Margaret Colgate Love

NACDL is pleased to offer, as a resource for its members and as a service to the public, a collection of individual downloadable documents that profile the law and practice in each U.S. jurisdiction relating to relief from the collateral consequences of conviction. The 54 jurisdictional profiles include provisions on loss and restoration of civil rights and firearms privileges, legal mechanisms for overcoming or mitigating collateral consequences, and provisions addressing non-discrimination in employment and licensing. In addition to the full profiles, there is a set of charts covering all 50 states (plus territories and the federal system) that provide a side-by-side comparison and make it possible to see national patterns in restoration laws and policies. The information covered by the charts is summarized on the page for each jurisdiction. These materials will be an enormous aid to lawyers in minimizing the collateral consequences suffered by clients and in restoring their rights and status. Read Ms. Love’s full introduction and description of the project.

Find your jurisdiction

Click on a jurisdiction to view the summary, access the full profile document, and link to the comparison charts.

Additional Resources

These profiles and charts, prepared by NACDL member Margaret Love, are included in a treatise on collateral consequences published jointly by NACDL and Thompson Reuters (West). Margaret Colgate Love, Jenny Roberts & Cecelia M. Klingele, Collateral Consequences of a Criminal Conviction: Law, Policy and Practice (NACDL/West 2013). This treatise, the first of its kind to deal comprehensively with all aspects of a critical emerging practice area, was released on February 21, 2013.

Disclaimer

The information in the profiles is solely for educational and informational purposes, and does not constitute legal advice. While every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy and currency, the law in this area is complex, voluminous, and constantly changing. Therefore, users are cautioned to research and verify the information independently at an official source. Nor does the interpretation of particular laws and rules on this website represent the official view of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. A date at the top of each profile and chart indicates the last time it was revised.

Comments

Comments and contributions are warmly welcomed by the author, who intends to update these materials regularly as developments in the law warrant and new information becomes available.

Acknowledgements

Thank you to Josh Gaines, who has provided reliable research support to this project since 2011. Thank you also to the law firm of Crowell & Moring LLP for its indispensable pro bono assistance. Finally, thanks to Gray Proctor who was on deck when no one else was.